Frisco USRA-design Composite Gondolas

 

There are certain freight car prototypes that just appeal to me, whatever the reason. The Frisco's USRA-design composite gondolas are one such car. When they were built, composite gondolas were commonplace, but by the early 50s, all steel gons were by far the majority. Perhaps that whiff of obsolescence is what draws me. Regardless, I find them interesting and have wanted to model one for years. 

Before discussing modeling options, I will provide what I know about the prototypes. The Frisco had a large number of these cars and seemed to refurbish and rebuild them into an incalculable number of flavors. There was a group of true USRA composite gondolas, built in 1919 by Standard Steel Car Co., in series 85000-85999 (782 cars in the Official Railway Equipment Register, October, 1951.) These were rebuilt into a number of different configurations:

• largely as built, but with wood floors and no drop doors and either original Perfection lever-type hand brake or Ajax power hand brake and AB brakes with 1712 cu. ft. capacity, like 85825 shown below (389 cars, Official Railway Equipment Register, October, 1951)
• rebuilt in 1934, 1935 and 1937 with paneled steel sides, wood floors and no drop doors, new side steel structural members, and either 1842 or 1862 cu. ft. capacity (4 and 138 cars, respectively)
• rebuilt in 1936, 1937 and 1938 with paneled steel sides including three side doors per side, wood floors and no drop doors, Dreadnaught ends, new side steel structural members, and 1856 cu. ft. capacity, like 85012 shown below (151 cars)
• rebuilt in 1940, retaining composite sides, but adding three doors per side, Dreadnaught ends, wood floors and no drop doors, Ajax power hand brakes, and 1726 cu. ft. capacity, like 85885 shown below (100 cars)

There was also a large group of cars in the series 50000-50398 (359 cars,) 50399-51927 (838,) 52000-52499 (495,) 52500-53099 (533,) 53100-53647 (491) and 53650-54349 (682) for a total of 3,398 cars. All had solid wood floors and (like the USRA cars) 1712 cu. ft. capacity. They were built by Pullman Car Manufacturing Co. in 1925 and 1930 and refurbished as needed, most notably with Dreadnaught ends. These were like 53395 shown directly above. The number series and data are from the Official Railway Equipment Register, October, 1951 issue.

Modeling the cars was relatively easy as Sunshine offered several different versions of them. Sadly, I did not ever manage to pick up a kit and now they do not appear on the secondhand market as much as other Sunshine kits seem to. However, I believe my modeling skills to be sharp enough to find a way to scratch the itch by modifying an Intermountain USRA composite gondola. 

Martin Lofton wrote "Frisco's rebuilt USRA gondolas," Railroad Model Craftsman, October 1990. This article covered many of the variations, as well as how Martin modeled them in HO scale. His article predated the Intermountain and Walthers (ex-Proto1000) USRA-design composite gondolas

The image above is of the side of Sunshine kit 92.6. These were part of the re-release of Frisco USRA-design gons. I assume that the patterns were Martin's work as no one is credited for them in the Sunshine PDS (Prototype Data Sheet) and Martin did do occasional pattern work, especially for his "pet" roads, of which the Frisco was one. The cars included detail on the interior, as well, including "cutouts" for the side discharge doors, wood boards, and detail on the inside of the Dreadnaught ends.

NOTE: Where I have info on the prototype images, I have begun to embed/watermark that in the image, along with my last name rather prominently in the car body. I hate to take this step, but I have grown increasingly angry at the proliferation of internet and social media "experts" downloading images and then reposting them elsewhere with no information about the date, location or photographer or where they pirated the images from in the first place. Yes, it detracts from the images, but it also deters the pirates from wanton theft without attribution.